Need Help to select a camera lens for my Nikon 7200D

Hello everyone.

I need to start with how happy I am to be a part of this forum and that I am looking forward to speaking with you all and hopefully finding answers to my problems.

When it comes down to photography I would consider myself as a enthusiastic hobbyist. I currently own a Nikon 7200D with a basic 17 to 55 mm zoom lens and right now I'm thinking about upgrading my gear. So I thought I just call out for some advice.

What I would like to buy is a decent telephoto zoom lens. So far I found good Sigma and Tamron lenses suitable for my camera at the for sales website http://www.for-sale.co.uk/nikon-camera-lenses. Nikon, of course, also provides some lenses. But they are more expensive than the two brands mentioned above.
So Anyway, I did some research and checked for sale websites for classified adds and there are lots of lenses for sale. But I'm not sure about the focal length. So I found some common combinations like the following:

* 16-300 mm
* 18-270 mm
* 18-200 mm 
* 28-300 mm

I currently tend to the 16-300mm, because from time to time I'd like to shoot some macro shots as well. Furthermore this lens provides a good, overall range. Or would you recommend a different one? What are your experiences?

The next big point is the brand. I know Sigma and Tamron both provide great lenses. I guess the Tamron is a bit more expensive than the Sigma. But what are the differences? So which brand should I pick?

The last thing, both lenses a pretty pricey. That's why I was thinking about buying a used camera lens. I found some on a website selling second hand photography equipment. But I'm still not totally sure. Is is advisable or not? And are there some common pitfalls to avoid when buying used gear?

Sorry about all these questions but I don't know that much about lenses. Therefore any feedback is highly appreciated

Mae.

Hi Mae,

In general zoom lenses with such a large zoom range are a significant compromise in image quality for the sake of the versatility provided by an all in one lens solution.  A 16-300 will definitely be the most versatile.  Tamron and Sigma lenses in this regime are essentially the same for overall quality.  If you are in the US, Sigma's after sale support and service is a little bit better than Tamron's so that might swing it in that direction but overall they are essentially the same.

As for used gear, you can certainly get very good used gear that is like new or you can get gear that somebody is trying to dump because it is being abused.  You want something that is in Excellent or Excellent + condition.  On this particular camera I would look for fewer than 50,000 shutter activations, preferably much lower.  There is a third option besides used and new, getting a factory refurbished camera.  In this case you get a camera that has been restored by Nikon to like new condition and comes with a 90day full warranty:  https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-store ... meras.page

Thanks EJ for your reply. I didn't know about this refurbished stuff. Thanks for that hint.